1. Field of the Invention
The preferred embodiments of the present invention relate, inter alia, to the structure of a side mirror provided on a motorcycle and a motorcycle equipped with the side mirror.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
It is desired that side mirrors of a motorcycle can be adjusted in level or height according to a rider's body height and posture and also can be folded toward the vehicle widthwise center as need arises. In some conventional side mirrors, a basal end of a rod-shaped mirror stay with a mirror mounted on the tip end of the stay is turnably supported by a mount seat mounted on a cowl (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2001-71964). Usually, such mount seat that supports a side mirror is formed into a shape extending in one direction. The mount sheet is provided with bolts for fixing the mount sheet to a front cowl at both ends of the mount seat and a support portion located between the bolts for turnably supporting the basal end of the mirror stay. Also, in order to assuredly support a mirror and a mirror stay by a mount seat, a turning shaft of the mirror stay is generally provided perpendicularly to the extension direction (length direction) of the mount seat. With such structure, a rider can adjust the level or height of the mirror or fold the mirror by turning the mirror stay about the shaft.
In order to prevent the interference between the movable ranges of a mirror stay and a mirror and the positions of vehicle body parts, it is necessary to carefully select the mounting position of the mount seat on the front cowl. However, according to the related art, the turning shaft of the mirror stay is provided perpendicularly to a length direction of the mount seat, resulting in a small degree of freedom in selecting the mounting position. This sometimes requires redesign of the shape, etc., of the front cowl.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. For example, certain features of the preferred embodiments of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages and/or providing certain advantages, such as, e.g., disadvantages and/or advantages discussed herein, while retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.